The real battle needs to be fought on a different front, that front is why more clearly defined and manageable regions are being sacrificed to railroad through an impractical and unworkable region. It's the latest in a long long line of dismantling structures and networks that could play key roles in positioning stronger Liverpool and Manchester city regions.

Well, it's ten to eight and they are on the case already! The person I emailed requesting more detail (and threatening an FoI) is already trying to fob me off - he has written to a colleague (or so he thinks - instead of forwarding to her he pressed "reply" to me!) asking if I can be fobbed off with a response sent to MPs. I asked some detailed questions, including which consultants undertook the property search that found no suitabe premises in Greater Liverpool able to house 200 staff. Still, let's see what turns up, would be interesting to see what was sent to MPs, even if its more evasion.

"XXXXX,
Did you say there was a response that was sent to MPs that might be
able to be sent to the person below? I sent them a paper from the July 06
Board from the website that went into detail about the move and its
sparked a new set of questions. Thanks"

Well, it's ten to eight and they are on the case already! The person I emailed requesting more detail (and threatening an FoI) is already trying to fob me off - he has written to a colleague (or so he thinks - instead of forwarding to her he pressed "reply" to me!) asking if I can be fobbed off with a response sent to MPs. I asked some detailed questions, including which consultants undertook the property search that found no suitabe premises in Greater Liverpool able to house 200 staff. Still, let's see what turns up, would be interesting to see what was sent to MPs, even if its more evasion.

"XXXXX,
Did you say there was a response that was sent to MPs that might be
able to be sent to the person below? I sent them a paper from the July 06
Board from the website that went into detail about the move and its
sparked a new set of questions. Thanks"

If Liverpool had it's own television company then we might have the basis of some form of 'World in Action'-type investigation into the distribution of public sector jobs to Manchester.

OSCAR-WINNING director Quentin Tarantino is to visit Liverpool for an exclusive preview of his new film.

He will be at FACT on September 11 for a question and answer session with fans following the screening of his latest feature, Death Proof.

FACT are describing the attendance of the cult director as a major coup for Liverpool.

The Daily Post understands Tarantino is keen to explore a traditional Liverpool night out during his visit, and sources suggest he is even a fan of Gerry and The Pacemakers. It is known he turned down a chance to go to Manchester and insisted he preferred a Liverpool screening instead.

Tarantino is best known for 1994’s Pulp Fiction, which won an Oscar for Best Screenplay, and nominations for Best Director and Best Picture.

He has directed a catalogue of classic movies over the past 15 years, including Reservoir Dogs, Jackie Brown, and Kill Bill Vol 1 & 2. He has also appeared in a string of films as an actor, including From Dusk Till Dawn with George Clooney.

Mike Stubbs, director and CEO of FACT, said: “This event is a huge coup for Liverpool, in that Quentin Tarantino specifically asked to come here.

“FACT is a multi-art venue with a strong programme and the power to attract international artistic stars like Pipilotti Rist in 2008, and now a Hollywood megastar and cult icon like Quentin Tarantino”.

Death Proof follows two groups of young women who attract the unwelcome attention of stunt man Mike – played by Kurt Russell – who uses his super-charged car as a deadly weapon.

Tarantino is well known for breaking the rules of cinema, with his previous release, Kill Bill, being released in two separate volumes, several months apart.

Continuing with this rebellious tradition of film-making, Death Proof will feature deliberately scratchy film and a reel where the colour is lost, to recreate the look of 70s B-movie screenings. It was cheered by critics when screened at the Cannes film festival earlier this year, who hailed it as “amazing.”

The film was originally shown as part of a double bill called Grindhouse – along with zombie movie Planet Terror, directed by Robert Rodriguez – but plans for an international release were abandoned after its disappointing US box office performance.

An extended version of Tarantino’s Death Proof, including long conversational scenes, is now being released in its own right.

The exclusive preview will be held on Tuesday, September 11, at 8pm.

Tickets will go on sale at midday today at £10, from the Box Office at FACT or booking line: 0871 704 2063 (sales limited to two per person).

This is the type of issue that a journalist from the Post, Echo or Radio Merseyside could really get their teeth in to.

Surely we must have one or two who visit SSC.

Thanks to Poli for the spadework he has done on this. Seems like a classic case of make a decision then think up some reasons for it.

It is nonsense to judge journey to work times based on assumptions of no congestion. (Isn't Manchester to introduce a congestion charge soon, what effect will that have for people commuting to work from outside the city)?

It would be interesting to do an exercise to find where exactly the centre of gravity of all those employee locations actually falls. I suspect it would be far closer to Warrington than the centre of Manchester.

The excuse that the cost of the remaining lease on Gateway must be added to the other two sites needs questioning. Could the SHA not find a tenant for their vacated premises so offseting this cost? What will be the cost of renewing the lease when it does eventually expire?

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Thanks to Poli for the spadework he has done on this. Seems like a classic case of make a decision then think up some reasons for it.

It is nonsense to judge journey to work times based on assumptions of no congestion. (Isn't Manchester to introduce a congestion charge soon, what effect will that have for people commuting to work from outside the city)?

It would be interesting to do an exercise to find where exactly the centre of gravity of all those employee locations actually falls. I suspect it would be far closer to Warrington than the centre of Manchester.

The excuse that the cost of the remaining lease on Gateway must be added to the other two sites needs questioning. Could the SHA not find a tenant for their vacated premises so offseting this cost? What will be the cost of renewing the lease when it does eventually expire?

The problem would be that the BBC wouldn't want an investigation into their move to Salford.

The Post and Echo's owners, Trinity Mirror, have a large presence in Manchester, and again they would probably have pressure put upon them from HQ.

Fair play Poli. I was wrong about you simply bitching on here. Please accept my apologies on that score.

This is insidious and smacks of exactly the kind of lack of accountability that has turned once accountable sections of our public service into a cesspool of vested interest. The interests at play here seem clear from what's been posted. There's been no real process of fair play. Merely the very worst kind of jobs for the boys mentality. Sickening.

On a practical note - Tony Barrett the lad at the Echo is a rampant Liverpudlian. He would deplore this carry on. Maybe a phone call.

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1,000s of maitime companies employ 10s of 1,000s of staff with an annual turnover of £2.5bns+ / 15% of the Merseyside economy. The Super Port of Liverpool is expanding & with 150,000 ship movements a year, the River Mersey is the UK’s 3rd busiest estuary.

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The Merseyrail network runs 700 services a day, the most intense of any in the UK apart from London Underground.

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don't know where to put this really. anyway had a walk around town today and noticed Eden Square looked great and i noticed merseytravels head office over the road is a nice building, also Beetham West was looking excellent aswell. The building next door to the municipal buildings has scaffolding around it and is an Iliad development anyone know what this is?

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A MARITIME park will be created at Liverpool’s historic docks thanks to a £200,000 grant.

Plans by National Museums Liverpool for a designated area include a public walkway linking three waterfront museums with six outdoor computer terminals to learn more about the city’s history.

Dockside machinery and equipment including winches, pistons, boilers, capstans and keel blocks will show their role in the working life of the docks, while anchors, propellers and buoys will bring to life aspects of the life of the river including navigation, pilotage and tugs.

The project, due to open in July 2009, was made a reality after the grant announced today by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (and the Wolfson Foundation.

It will link Merseyside Maritime Museum and the International Slavery Museum with the Museum of Liverpool due to open in 2010.

Tony Tibbles, director of the Merseyside Maritime Museum, said: “This is great news. It will allow us to provide state-of-the-art interpretation to the historic quaysides when they reopen to the public in 2009.”

Visitors will be able to investigate the docks through the six freestanding interactive information points, each with a weatherproof touchscreen and audio speakers.

The information points will incorporate wireless base stations, using Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, so that visitors can download audio guides about the site onto their own mobile phones or MP3 players.

This part of Liverpool’s docks has seen more than 200 years of working use. Conservation work will be done as part of the development.